Mightymouse1111
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- May 7, 2011
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Hello all,
First post!
I recently discovered my tanks have been infected with planaria. I have successfully treated two snail tanks (both 2 gallons) with fenbendazole without a single snail (Ramshorn and MTS) or betta death. I believe the origin of my infestation is Carib-sea Crushed Coral that I added awhile back. I didn’t correlate them at the time, but looking back, I noticed the planaria about a week after adding the crushed coral. As weird as this may sound, after recognizing this I did an experiment in a half gallon tank where I boiled (for sterilization) the small plant and rock I put in it and also microwaved the tank while full of water for 10 minutes (It almost reached a boil, but I also assume the microwave radiation would have killed any planaria eggs as well). This tank had sat empty for a long time and has never had planaria before. The only unsterilized items I put in were new rinsed crushed coral from the same bag as before and a few small bladder snails. Sure enough, within a week I found planaria all over the sides of the tank. I believe this confirms my suspicion that the crushed coral was the culprit but please let me know if you disagree with my reasoning.
My concern: In my 46 gallon tank, my spiny peacock eels (2 from petsmart that have done very well for the 6 months I’ve had them) seem to burrow much less since I added the crushed coral and I’m trying to figure out why.
Theory 1: The crushed coral is sharp and it hurts to burrow. I don’t think this is the problem because my ratio of silica pool filter:crushed coral is about 10:1. There is much more sand and they have always seemed to enjoy burrowing in the sand before.
Theory 2: My additions of plants, chollo wood, and caves has increased their comfort and they don’t feel like they need to burrow as often to feel comfortable. The plants were added about 2 months ago and they are doing very well. They have filled out the tank in the water column but I keep them planted at the sides of the tank and clustered in the middle so that the eels have room to burrow in the middle without uprooting them. This has worked well so far and I only need replant a few plants/week. In the last week I added the chollo wood and caves near the walls around the middle level of the tank which have provided more dark and private areas at the bottom as well.
Theory 3: There is a planaria infestation unseen in the substrate and the little buggers annoy/hurt them when they burrow. I have never seen planaria in this tank but my experience with the two other tanks and experiment lead me to conclude that anywhere the crushed coral was put the planaria are also. I have ghost shrimp and other fish in the tank that I assume must be eating the planaria on site/smell as they leave the substrate.
Unfortunately I cannot treat this tank with fenbendazole because I have several nerite snails in it and have read in several forums that nerites will die in treated tanks. Also, decreased feedings is not an option as I am not feeding very much already. I only feed once daily, there is never leftover food in the tank afterwards, and I do 20% water changes with gravel vacuums weekly.
Me on my soapbox
: I don’t buy the excuse that a planaria infestation indicates overfeeding. I agree that planaria may have a population boom in such conditions, but planaria abiogenesis (spontaneous formation of life) from aquari “primordial soup” is ridiculous. A tank must be infected with it to have it and it IS treatable, as I have already successfully treated my other two tanks.
All tanks are heated and filtered.
My 46 gallon parameters are:
pH - 7.5
gH - 215 ppm
kH – 125 ppm
Ammonia – 0
Nitrite – 0
Nitrate – 20
Other critters in the 46 gallon include: ghost shrimp, nerite snails, rabbit snails, apple snails, 2 dwarf gouramis, 1 ballon bellied pearl gourami (full grown at less than 3 inches), 5 young angelfish, 4 otocinclus, and 6 panda corys.
I accept that my bioload is a little high but I meticulously test and clean the tank. Additionally, I intend on removing 3 angelfish after I get a couple to pair off. I am in school and away from home, but I have a 150 gallon tank at home that I am moving everyone into next year.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts and advice!
Joe
First post!
I recently discovered my tanks have been infected with planaria. I have successfully treated two snail tanks (both 2 gallons) with fenbendazole without a single snail (Ramshorn and MTS) or betta death. I believe the origin of my infestation is Carib-sea Crushed Coral that I added awhile back. I didn’t correlate them at the time, but looking back, I noticed the planaria about a week after adding the crushed coral. As weird as this may sound, after recognizing this I did an experiment in a half gallon tank where I boiled (for sterilization) the small plant and rock I put in it and also microwaved the tank while full of water for 10 minutes (It almost reached a boil, but I also assume the microwave radiation would have killed any planaria eggs as well). This tank had sat empty for a long time and has never had planaria before. The only unsterilized items I put in were new rinsed crushed coral from the same bag as before and a few small bladder snails. Sure enough, within a week I found planaria all over the sides of the tank. I believe this confirms my suspicion that the crushed coral was the culprit but please let me know if you disagree with my reasoning.
My concern: In my 46 gallon tank, my spiny peacock eels (2 from petsmart that have done very well for the 6 months I’ve had them) seem to burrow much less since I added the crushed coral and I’m trying to figure out why.
Theory 1: The crushed coral is sharp and it hurts to burrow. I don’t think this is the problem because my ratio of silica pool filter:crushed coral is about 10:1. There is much more sand and they have always seemed to enjoy burrowing in the sand before.
Theory 2: My additions of plants, chollo wood, and caves has increased their comfort and they don’t feel like they need to burrow as often to feel comfortable. The plants were added about 2 months ago and they are doing very well. They have filled out the tank in the water column but I keep them planted at the sides of the tank and clustered in the middle so that the eels have room to burrow in the middle without uprooting them. This has worked well so far and I only need replant a few plants/week. In the last week I added the chollo wood and caves near the walls around the middle level of the tank which have provided more dark and private areas at the bottom as well.
Theory 3: There is a planaria infestation unseen in the substrate and the little buggers annoy/hurt them when they burrow. I have never seen planaria in this tank but my experience with the two other tanks and experiment lead me to conclude that anywhere the crushed coral was put the planaria are also. I have ghost shrimp and other fish in the tank that I assume must be eating the planaria on site/smell as they leave the substrate.
Unfortunately I cannot treat this tank with fenbendazole because I have several nerite snails in it and have read in several forums that nerites will die in treated tanks. Also, decreased feedings is not an option as I am not feeding very much already. I only feed once daily, there is never leftover food in the tank afterwards, and I do 20% water changes with gravel vacuums weekly.
Me on my soapbox
: I don’t buy the excuse that a planaria infestation indicates overfeeding. I agree that planaria may have a population boom in such conditions, but planaria abiogenesis (spontaneous formation of life) from aquari “primordial soup” is ridiculous. A tank must be infected with it to have it and it IS treatable, as I have already successfully treated my other two tanks.All tanks are heated and filtered.
My 46 gallon parameters are:
pH - 7.5
gH - 215 ppm
kH – 125 ppm
Ammonia – 0
Nitrite – 0
Nitrate – 20
Other critters in the 46 gallon include: ghost shrimp, nerite snails, rabbit snails, apple snails, 2 dwarf gouramis, 1 ballon bellied pearl gourami (full grown at less than 3 inches), 5 young angelfish, 4 otocinclus, and 6 panda corys.
I accept that my bioload is a little high but I meticulously test and clean the tank. Additionally, I intend on removing 3 angelfish after I get a couple to pair off. I am in school and away from home, but I have a 150 gallon tank at home that I am moving everyone into next year.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts and advice!
Joe
